Ascent to the sky. A shamanic initiatory engraving from the Burrup Peninsula, northwest Western Australia
Kim Sales
Archaeology in Oceania April 1, 1992 DOI: 10.1002/j.1834-4453.1992.tb00280.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Argues that a 'neuropsychological model' linking rock art to shamanistic altered states can be applied to a Pilbara rock art panel, using ethnographic evidence of Australian shamanism and identified entoptic motifs to advance an interpretation. Suggests the model may amplify understanding of Australian rock art. |
Abstract
AbstractA ‘neuropsychological model’ has been proposed which links rock art production with shamanistic experiences whilst in altered states of consciousness. The model claims universality, and hence this paper seeks to apply it to a rock art panel from the Pilbara region, Western Australia, in an assessment of its utility. Evidence of shamanism as practiced in Australia is gleaned from the ethnographic literature, entoptic motifs are identified in Australian rock art and an interpretation of the particular panel is advanced in the light of this. The potential of the model to amplify our understanding of Australian rock art is indicated.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |